5 Tips for Cutting In and Detail Painting

There’s no denying that interior painting is fun. Some might disagree, but we certainly think it is. And, if you ever have watched fresh, gleaming colors sweep over a tired surface, you probably know why we do.

In all reality though, there are a lot of tough aspects to completing a quality painting project. It certainly isn’t as simple as choosing a color, grabbing a brush, and watching a beautiful result unfold. It’s an art, really, and one that takes time, practice, and experience to master.

One of these more difficult aspects of interior painting that takes a lot of skill and a steady hand is cutting in around edges; striking a clean, crisp line between paint colors or a certain surface that shouldn’t be painted. If you have ever have tried to paint around a piece of trim, a door, cabinetry, or navigate your way among bathroom fixtures, you know what we mean.

With this in mind, we thought it would be helpful to share a few painting tips to help you take on detail work with confidence. Or, at least a little more confidence than you had before!

Tips and Tools for Interior Painting

Plenty of lighting – Don’t be left in the dark! Shadows make painting extremely difficult.

Use the right tool for the job – All brushes are not created equal. Invest in a quality tool, and for fine detail work try an angled sash brush.

Use the right grip – A pencil grip (holding the brush with the same general hand position that you would a pencil) will give you the most control.

Load properly – A lot of folks use either way too much or way too little paint, and both mistakes can cause trouble. Load about a third of your bristles, then carefully tap the extra off on the side of your container.

Brush excess paint – Brush one stroke a couple of inches from where your edge will be. This removes any unneeded paint, but still leaves you enough to do the brushwork.

At this point you might be thinking that this is all well and good, but that it might be a whole lot easier to use painter’s tape. Tape has its place, especially when creating custom designs or wall patterns, but as a tool for cutting in (for large projects) it really takes longer than it’s worth. And, you have to be very careful that no extra paint squeezes underneath the edge of the tape, creating the uneven lines you’re working so hard to avoid.

Or, Ask a Professional Painter!

A professional painter can take all of the stress out of the process, or at least we believe they should! If you have any questions about your painting project, or about our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us at DeVuono Painting!